Fitting for lighting fixtures



p 1949. v P. D. PHILLIPS 2,481,531

FITTING FOR LIGHTING FIXTURES Filed July 11, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept.13, 1949.

P. D.- PHILLIPS FITTING FOR LIGHTING FIXTURES Filed July 11, 1945 4Sheets-Sheet 2 P. D. PHlLLlPS FITTING FOR LIGHTING FIXTURES Sept. 13,1949.-

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 11, 1945 Sept. 13, 1949.

P. PHILLIPS FITTING FOR LIGHTING FIXTURES Filed July 11, 1945 4Sheets-Sheet 4 4% '1 WA M434. ,7.

Patented Sept. 13, 1949 UNITED STATES 2,481,531 FITTING FOR LIGHTINGPaul D. Phillips, Hendersgnville'; N90,, ii's 'sign'or to BenjaminElectric -"Mfg.' Gtlniitiahy, Des Plaines, 111., a corporation of-I1liiiois Application July 11, 1945, serial Nol ltcaias 23 Claims.(012*240 41 555) This invention relates particularly to covers tocomplete theen'closure of circular reflector or housing type lightingfixtures which comprise essentially a pressedfflat or formed glass withmeans to gasketor sealthe glass over the open end of the housing'andmeans to clamp or secure the glass to the housing. They may be of a typethat is an entirely separate device capable of being attachedor"detached from the lighting unit at will or of a type that is apermanent part of the unit, orbuilt in, and not intended to beregularly, entirelyremoved. In both types, the cover per se must beopenable for lamp changing and reflector" servicing, and in thedetachable type the housing or fixed element'must be capable of securelygripping the housing for the cover andclamping elements are'dependent onit for support. 7

The present invention is an improvement upon such devices, and besidesovercoming faults therein introduces'n'ew features of advantage tomanufacturer, installer and" user.

The usual practice'is to locate the seal gasket between the'housing rimand the top edge surface of the glass; and clamping themtogether to formthe seal. This puts theglass under strain and, to make it worse;this'strain is unequally distributed, since the clamps are spaced atintervals around the'glassor its frame. Attempts have'been made toovercome thedifiiculty, but it is done by v separately gasketing theglass and frame, the frame 'gas'ket being outside or beyond the edge ofthe glass,'resu1ting in a wide section frame built at the eXpense'of areduced diameter of clean light opening through the light or an rim, iscushion-mounted in its frame and 11S Wholly'free from clamping strain,the clamping strain is all taken by the metal frame and may be increasedas is necessary for the larger sizes without imparting ittoor'endangering the glass,

and the frame andmetal cover parts are reducedto the barestessentials inhorizontal cross-sectional proportions, with resulting minimum ofblocking or covering-of light opening through the ossf section ofgas ifa:of the movable cover element when the latter is diameter of the'npenenusof reflectors is permitted 'in'bomme eial practice. -For-an18-inch diameter reflector: for "example as'here represented in thedrawings, the allowance-is 3/16 mal, The'maniifacturerfordinarilyiioesnot know the exact s'i zeofgthef reflector orhpusing to which the coverwill'be applied. The useris notlikely than thegeneral sizedesi-g'natibn-I 8'-inch,'for

' example.

Further andfsveral-*obifcts' of the invention "aretaprovideabovefconstruction of the type mentioned haVi ng an "ekpansible- 'gasketretaining. means faclz ptable'to the" different-sizes of Tim 'due' tomanufacturing tolerances and which'may be applied 'ifierw-bynisnng the"stationary-- element up over the rim of the housing or reflector andthen ti ghtenin'g 'the retaining band by the single thumbscrew provided;to provide a device t'o be'mounted on varying diameters of?reflectors"of units "served, top a part-ofthew'ta glass or obstruction ofeffectivereflecting 'surfaces of the-reflector. g

A further'object of the invention is the provision of a coverconstruction having a novel 1 method f ofpositioning andffiking thegasket in the housing stationaryjfel'ement 'o1" "the construction; andnot in the 'm'ovable cover element,

or housings with distributed andiprefrably with having a tailoraue'fitwo arying dia'rneters i'etiaea sai' gasket that is tiona'ry"element which is atnn'ot help but contact the which th cover eleirientis f'readily unhookable handling and installation and for convenience inthe removal of the glass for washing or replacement; to provide a deviceof this nature which reduces the operable fastening means of thecomplete device to a reflector or housing to a single captive thumbscrewand provides a single enveloping band to conceal and draw together, in achuck-like manner, the several gasket-retaining and positioning parts,closely gripping the reflector and forming a rigid, substantialanchorage for the movable cover element; to provide a square orrectangular cross-section gasket depending on its attachment andpositioning to a narrow rim on a thin metal piece whose tongues passthrough perforations or slits in the gasket section; to provide anexpansible gasket-retain ing means divided into a series of segments andwhose separation is controlled or limited by a perforated strip engagingthe tongues of the segments and preferably serving also as a side Wallto keep the gasket in place and form; to provide a gasket mountingmeansin which a series of springs aot both to open the enclosingband'when freed and to support and space the retainer segments whentheband is closed, and

a to provide a detachable hinged wat-erand dusttight cover constructionin which the cover element centers inside of and is enclosed by themeans by which it is supported on the reflector.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the description andclaims to follow, in connection with the accompanying drawings whichillustrate, by way of example and notof limitation, a built in and adetachable cover construction, and in which---- 1 Fig. 1 is a plan viewof the buit in form of the cover construction as applied to a reflectoror housing, assuming the same to be overhead and opening downwardly;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, the body of the housing beingbroken away and the movable cover element being shown partly open infull lines and closed in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a detail cross-section through the rim of the housing andcover construction, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and being atsubstantially full scale;

Fig 4 is a similar detail view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 with the pivotbolt-head removed;

Fig. 5 is a similar View on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the gasket and ofthegasket-retaining ring, showing the tongues of the latter bent uphorizontally to receive the gasket thereon and before they are bentupwardly on the inside of the gasket;

Fig. 7 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1, but on reduced scale, of thedetachable cover construction as applied to a housing or reflector;

Fig. 8 is a side view of same, similar to Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a detail cross-sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 7

Fig. 10 is a similar detail view on line I0I0 of Fig. 7

Fig. 11 is an exploded view of the parts of the gasket ring; and

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 9, but with the outer securing bandexpanded.

Referring first to the form shown in Figs. 1 to 6, which illustrate acircular reflector with a nondetaohable or built-in cover, such as maybe used in outdoor flood-lighting or other places where it is desiredthat the lights be sealed against dust, smoke and moisture due to rain,mist, fog or other causes, the open end of the reflector housing 29,which may be of aluminum, steelor other other suitable material, isseated up against the lower face of flange 23 of the rim of the housingand is permanently attached thereto. Such gasket strips come in rolls,and the correct length may be cut off and fitted to and around the rimof the particular housing so that no gap appears at the tightly butt-edends of the gasket or elsewhere.

lhe gasket is held to its said seat in the housing by a thin metal stripor endless band or ring 25, also preferably of aluminum, which isclosely fitted to the'outer rim surface '22 and may be riveted theretoand serves as a housing armor hand as well as agasket' retainer. Thisband is curved inwardly at the upper. edge 26 over the rim ledge 2|. Theopposite edge of this band is notched or cut away to form tongues 21,Fig. 6,

' which are bent to stand inwardly at right angles to the body of theband. These tongues are to the butted ends-of the notched ring. Thesetongues do not interfere with the .compression of the gasket between itsupper and lower seats and aretightly fitting in the slits to preservetheseal through the gasket. After the gasket has been slipped in placeon the tongues, the latter are bent upwardly, as indicated at 29 inFigs. 3 and 4, on

the inner side of the gasket to hold the same in placeon the tongues andon its seat 23. Holes 30 may be formed in the tongues to insure theirbeing. bent upwardly at the proper points by merely applying upwardpressure on the ends thereof.

.The result of this construction and arrange- 11161113 is that asuitable gasket is readily applied tothe housing in a practical andrugged manner and remains as a part thereof regardless of the openingand closing of the. cover, as hereinafter explained. The dimensionsmaybe varied, but

it may be said by way of explanation, though not of limitation, thatwith a gasket of A -inch square cross-section and the tongues and slitsspaced on .%-inch.centers, the slits being %-inch long and the tongues ge-inch wide, as indicated, satisfactory results have been obtained. Bythis means the minimum cross-section of gasket may be used and of onesingle size for all sizes of refiectors and -styles.of reflector rims orhousing gasket seats. With a housing rim, for instance, of circular beadform instead of flat, and of the usual size of just under /.,-inch indiameten'the same gasket seats equally well, the unnotched ring portionlying against the'outside of the rim gasket on the rim, and properdisposal of the included gasket results.

The cover includes a circular frame and the glass roundel carriedthereby. The frame carries the glass at all times so thatit cannot fallout.

When-ztheecover isJopenedsandesuspendedibythe hinge: or: at: other:timesil It: is; cnshionedesealed thereim. The: frame? causes a: sealedconnection between coverand housing toib'ezmade at the gasket when the,COYBI-Iz'iS clamped in' its closed position and: the gasket: is,compressed. The framev itself carries-theistrain without. putting the:glass xunder: compression or; subjecting it to any strain thereby.Therim-of the housing, the gasket. and glass are allisubstantially. ofthe same diameter so that light fromthezlamp andfrom the efiectivereflecting surfacesof the reflector arenot' obstructed. The frame,moreover, does,

not project unduly: inside the, periphery-oft the glass and thus.reduce/the". clean: light opening.

through the glass;

The cover'frame, indicatedigenerallyiat 3!, in the form hereillustrated, is preferablyv a continuous: ring of? sturdy:cross-section; shown cross hatched 'inzFigs: 4 and:5:} whiohamay be: ofcast aluminum or: other: suitablev material or:

drawn fromzheavy gauge sheetzmetah The-peripheral edge of" theglass.32;which1 may-be molded, flat plate, curved sheet -oras desired;lies upon a slightly elevated-i inner: horizontal ledge- 33% near. thebottomof frame ring 31, and thezsubstantial space between the edgebfthe-glass and the outer portion of: ring 3 I? is filled-With a suitahlecalking cement 34, preferably a high heat-resisting, non-setting,surface-adhering cement or sealing compound, which completely fills-andseals such space and cushionsand holds the glass-sealed in the framewithoutthe-use-of rigid mechanical clamping means;

Into this plastic seal'is-foroedi the verticalleg v of a: continuoussheet metal sealring 35, which penetrates the sealing cement 34 tothebottom and its edge re'stsagainst the frame member 3|.

The inwardly extending horizontal 1 leg 36*- of the in eachassembly, isplaced in the corner betweenthevertical and horizontah legs- 0fthe sealring before-theinsertionof the ringinto the plastic-seal 34. The sealring 35-may be centered inthe frame 3| by several hemispherical emboss--ments 3%, Fig. 3, formed in the vertical leg of the ring 35 and suitablyspaced thereabout; The glass 3%. maybe centered in the frame-3+ bya-suitable jig at the time of assembly therein, and maintained in its-centered-'position*bythe cement itself.

If desired, the horizontal leg 36" of seal ring 35 maybeflat ontopthroughout its width, asshownin Fig; 5, but may be turnedup at itsinneredge 3'9, as shown in Figs. 3 and-4; to engage and be press ed"into the bottom of-thegasket-2 1 v when the cover is closed and clampedshut to form theseal;

Also, if desired; todoubly: insure against any possible dislodgment" oftheglass or seal: ring in: the frame; the arrangement ofFig. S maybeprovided, wherein alight-gauge, fiat spring member 60 isshownscrew-attached at its upper end-to the-upper-edgeof frame ring- 3Pa-HdSXLcHdS downwardly and is riveted at its" lower end tothe seal ring35. Three-tesix of these; suitably spaced about the ring, sufilce;

thumbscrew 42;

With the constructiondescribed:.thoglassiand2 sealing ring are sealed inthey-frame; and; when:- the-cover is closed on thehousinggtheetwo aresealedat the gasket between the gasketrflion fishes l housing and theseatingseatfifioithe sealing ringsv 35 in the cover frame.

The gasket is sealingly compressedbetween its; said seats above and below, the.. one,' 2.3;.inthez housing and the other, 36 -39, in: thecover,ipre..=s erably by suitable clamps properly... spacedzaboutt thesame. In an l8 -inch housing, abouti-ise-rvent clamps of the type to bedescribed, spaced equally: about the ring, have. been found to givesatisfac.- tion, but the number and type-may, be variedaas r desired, asmaller housing requiring a less number and a larger may need more;ViFith-thelcon-A struction described, the glasslbeing entirely freetfrom the clamping stress, a positive, spaced: clamping means may be usedwith entire safety;

Here, as shown in Figs, 1, 2; and 3, theaframe: ring is provided withsuitable embossments at the appropriate places, in Which a clamping;thumbscrevv 52 is threaded to operatean-auto matic self-adjusting clampplate 43,- Which-.inu

closed position fulcrums on the outerupper edge of the embossment 4|andis clampeddown-at the other end on top of the-upper edge-of 'th'ehousing rim and flange or inturned edge- 25 of the gasket retaining ringby tightening the A dependingtailM}Figs; 1 and 2, at the rear or outerend' of clamp plate= 43; strikes the lug 45 at the outer sideof bossMwhenthe plate 43 swings to its closedposition. 'When the plate swings toits openunclampedpo sition substantially parallel with the frame; thetail strikes against the side ofthe-bossor a-lug-W- thereon and stopsthe plate inthat position; The thumbscrew causes the plate toswingautomati cally in this way in both the initial'closingmovement and inthe opening movement in then-atural turning of the screw to clamp andunclamp' the cover to and from the-housing; Thisis accomplished by asuitable spring or friction-washer" connection of the screw 42 withtheplate-43 whereby the screw frictionally-engages theplatef suflicientlyto turn the same ineitherdirection when the plate is free toturn, butmay be turnedfurther therein when the plate is b10cked=from turning. Asuitable spring within the top-recess of the boss and around the screwpresses upwardly against the washer connection and thus; against theplate to keep it in-raisedposition at" alltimes and to prevent rattlingand the plate tending to move to openposition due to vibration or thelike. This type of clampis disclosed in- Leinen Patent No. 2,285,728, ofJune 9; 19423110; which reference may be had for-further details.

The cover may be hinged to the housing as desired or as indicated in thedrawingswheretwo hinge brakets 559 are shown riveted or'otherwise'secured on the outside of the gasket retaining rim 25 and rim of thehousing 20: (Jo-operating hinge members 5 l are form'edin any desiredwa-yf on the frame ring SI of the cover. These are connected by thescrew bolts or hinge'pins 52 suitably I sleeved for their passagethrough the hingemembers 5i and threaded into the-members 50; Thesleeves on the pin also suitably space the heads of the bolts from thehinge member--50? The apertures 53 for the pins 52 through the hingemembers 5| are considerably larger thanthepins; to give freedom ofindependent movement oi theframe 3! in being clamped to and unclampedfrom its seat on the-gasket and-permitting:it to move in a directionperpendicularto theseat seating and unseating, and to take care ofslight variations in dimensions incident to manufacture.

"By this construction the cover is sealingly clamped in closed positionindependently of the glass so that thellatter is not subjected to strainthereby; the glass is of full size and the supporting frame iscomparatively small so that the light from the housing is not obstructedor the frame unduly enlarged; the gasket is carried on the housingstationary element in fixed relation to the narrow rim seat, andtherefore may be comparatively small in cross-section and is notdisturbed by the opening of the cover, and always finds a sealing seaton the cover element regardless of Slight variations in positions thatmay occur for various reasons; the gasket is retained on the rim by theretaining ring provided with the impaling pins or tongues. passingtherethrough and mechanically supporting and holding it to its-narrowseat on the rim without affecting its compressibility and sealingcapacity on and between its seats; and the cover is mostconvenientlyclamped in sealing position and condition or unclamped andopened for cleaning and servicing purposes.

The foregoing form of device is such as may be made as a unit in thefactory, where all parts can be made to agree, but many lightingfixtures have been and are being put into use where, for one reasonoranother, covers are not provided for the reflectors or housings asbuilt and installed and the users later desire to apply suitable sealingcovers thereto. But such devices are apt to vary slightly in diameter atthe openend, so much so that a recognized tolerance in an18-inchdiameter reflector, for example, is -inchless than normal andover normal. The manufacturer of the covers, however, for such laterinstallations does not know the exact size of the reflectors or housingsthe covers may be called upon to fit.

In all these covers, it isdesired that the gasket mounting element fitthe reflector or housing rim exactly, and when the closing means aredrawn up that it form a tight, rigid part of the fixture. It is notintended to be riveted or permanently secured to the housing as in thebuilt in form of Figs. 1 to 6. The toggle or equivalent latches thatpull the openable cover element up tight and squeeze the gasket seal inso doing are dependent for their support on the framework of this gasketmounting element as a whole. Moreover, such elements are usuallyattached to the reflectors of the installedfixtures at the customersplant by someone not familiar with the construction of the device, sothey must be built so that they are not only easy and practical to applyto the installed fixtures, but the method of doing so and theirattachment to the reflector must be obvious fromthe construction.

In carrying out this feature of the invention,

provision is made at the factory for building the uppergasket mountingelement around a circular jig of the same diameter as that of theminimum diameter reflector under'the tolerances allowed for that size ofstandard reflector. Provision is made, in the mounting so built, forpermitting the metallic parts thereof to expand and the gasket tostretch uniformly to fit a reflector of any larger size within theallowable range, and to do so automatically in the ordinary, usual andnatural acts of applying same to the reflectors.

In this universal form of the invention, an, embodiment of which isshown in Figs. '1 to 11,

the reflector or housing is indicated at 60 and the bead rim at the openend at El. \The gasket 62 is the same as in the first-described form andis cut to the length required for theminimum diameter of reflectorofthat size. The gasket is slit, as in. the first instance, to receive thetongues 63 on the gasket retainer strip or ring 64, which tongues arebent upwardly on the inner side of the gasket after the latter has beenthreaded thereon definitely to confine and hold the same in place. Thegasket-retaining strip64 engages the outer face of the reflector bead 6|when the mounting isin position on the housing and thus holds the gasketin place with respect to the bead. The upper edge of the gasket-retaining strip is bent outwardly, as at 65, for

strengthening purposes and to assist in applying the device and insupporting the strip, as will be explained.

An outer band 66 surrounds this construction and has a horizontal leg 61overlapping the reflector bead.6land supporting this mounting when thedevice is attached to the reflector. This band is continuous except atone point where its separated ends 68 (Fig. 7) are bent outwardly,

and are suitably connected by a comparatively long thumbscrew 69,.which' is preferably made captive in the end near the thumb wing as bya suitable groove and spring clip and by which screw the band may bedrawn tightly about the housing and over the rim or expanded.

In order to make the gasket mounting expansible to adapt, it to. thelarger sizes, as much, say, as 3/ 16-inch larger in diameter than thejig to which it is fitted at the plant, the tongued gasket-retainerstripor ring 64 is cut into or made in several segments, six substantiallyequal segments being satisfactory for an 18-inch reflector, as shown inFig. 11, where one of the segmentsis shown extending between the points69 and it), and the remainder of the ring is divided accordingly. Thesesegments are mounted so as to be moved in and'out or radially toward andfrom the center of the ring to the extent required to fit the ring tothe different diameters of rims, each segment being supportedsubstantially at its center by the headed'pin 'I I, Fig. 9, riveted orotherwise secured thereto and extending outwardly through and slidablein an elongated horizontal slot 15 (Figs. 7 and 9) or hole in the outerband 66. The segments are pressed inwardly toward the reflector head bystrong flat or leaf spring strips 12, six of them, overlapping the endsof adjacent segments, Figs. 7 and 11, and bear-ing at their endsthereon. This spring 72 is riveted or secured at its center to the outerband, as at 1,3. These springs" also support the segments, since theirfree ends extend under the flange or outward bend 65 of thegasket-retain ing rings and they are riveted at their centers to theouter band 66. These springs 12 serve also as expander springs for theouter band 66 when the thumbscrew 69 is loosened in the operation ofattaching the. gasket-retainer element and mounting to a reflector. Theycause the outer band to open and expand uniformly around the circle.

' This outer, bandcan expand only to the limit of the heads of theshouldered pins H, but this is sufficient to let the inner edge of thehorizontal of the gasket-retaining strip or ring 64 of the segments, andof the .CQntrol or limit strips 14,

9 to he described, I which 1 however are very thin.

"In the further'expansion of the outer band, -'-when the"deviceis"pushed up over the larger diameter housing rims, as explained, thepins H slide-longitudinally in the slots' 15 in the outer band,- duringthis outward movement of the seg- "ments, to the-extentnecessarytherefor, it being recalled that" the flat springs 12 cause the outerband to expand-equallyaround all the segments and-"continue topress 'on'the-ends of the segmerits 'during thisbodilymovement of the segmerits.'Ihwsegments,therefore,=tend to move --in -andout "radially.

I-n thisoutward movement ofthe gasket-retain-ing segments; the-gasket62ywhich is thread- "edon'thetongues of the retaining strip-segments,His caused to=stretch slightlv but this is distributed over-amultiplenumber of'points (six in the '18inch sizelillustrated). While the gasketnormally stretches uniformlyatthe said points and keeps thesegments=moving radially, it is pre- -'ferred to control the movement'ofthese tong-med gasket-retainer" segments so thatwhen they areexpanded-to'the full over the maximum diameter,

their movement vitill 'be equalized and uniform arid alongradial'linesand'their spacing equalizedand the gask'et *-will'=notbeoverstretched at any point. Accordingly, -a-'thin flexible metal strip 7HfiFig'. 11, having slots on the same centers as the -tongues= 63="ofthegasket-retaining strip 64 but slightly--longer'than 'the width of thetongues; isslipped"over 'the tongues of adjacent segments so as tobr-idge the 'gap'between segments. This is-"done before the-gasket isapplied to the tongues, Fig. 10. The'slots'in this retainer segment-l-imit'strip shouldbe'longer than the width ofthe'tongues by as much asthe difference in length between minimum and maximum circles-"at that-location d-ivided by the number of j oints-or gaps between-segments sobridged, six in this instance. "The nurii'ber of tongues engagedorr'eachsegment maybe moreor' less, but five'on eachareshown soengagewby thelimit strip and have "been 'found satisfactory. Consequently, the gasketis "-not' over'stretche'dat any point; even-when'the device is'beingattached and the outerband is expanded fully.

in attaching the 'device 'to a housing; it is, of course, necessary thatthe outer'band be expanded"sufficientlv'to'enable it to pass :over thereflee-tor rim' wh'en being pushed up -into position on the housing. 'Ifthat -isof -the smallest size, the segments-are not-*necessar'ilydi'sturbed. If larger, they-are pushed out' to the extent necessarybythe act of pushing' the device up into place. f' Norma-lly,=theoneattaching the device in 'thefi'elddoesnoti know the exact size of :therim"housing. But he does know that the device is td beop'enedor expandedby unloosening the screw 89 in order to pushit up over the rim ofthe'housing. ZE-Ie therefore unscrews it from the end-68 6fthe'band:whi'cl'i leaves the band' free to expand under the influence ofspringslz when the gasket stretches.

*A simple push on the gasket assembly then pushes'it upover the 'beadof' the reflector. 'If the "rim encountered is the smallest size, nochange" insegmentsor I gasket occurs; 'if the rim is'largerj thesegments are moved outwardly by it andthe gasket slightly--stretched'inthe several areasadjacent the segmentjoints. The thumbscrew=is then'i-nsertedand operated to tighten the outer--bafid-'-over the' rimandsegments and about *the '-re'flector. In this movement, the

springs tem? 'to "push *the-gafsket-retainer seg- T ments up -tightlyagainstthereflector bead, the "pins 1 I slidinglaterally-in their-slotsto the-slight extent necessary, the gasket "is held in proper positionwith respect 'to the-ri-m, and the cover, if hung,is-ready'tobeclosed-and-clamped in thatposition as will be "explained.The gasket is thus a partof thehousing element, and not of I the coverelement ofthe-"device.

Thercover construotionin this form of the invention is =much'like thatof the first form described;particularly-in that-the glass is notputunder *stress bythe'sealingclamping action, is of full size, and is heldin its frame by the sealing, cushioning, and calking cement-rather thanby mechanical clamps. "The'g-lassis of full size and the frame-of'm-in-imu-m*proportions. The glassenclosing frame'member 80 ispreferably-a continuous'ring of suitabledrawn-metal type having aninturned ledge BI-u'ponwhich'the glass rests but isotherwisespacedtherefrom, the space being filled' witha-suitablecalking cement BZ, such'agbefore described," and which extends up over the uppere'dgeof theglass-as'i-ndicated. A stifi sealing ring-'83, angular'in'cross-section, has its vertical leg telescoping closely over the innerring at and which maybe coated on its inner surface with a'pa-intorother liquid that will harden by drying, to form an effective sealing ofthe two. The seal to the outer rmgas is also throughthe cementSZ thatoverliesonextends above the top edge surface of the 'glassand engagesthe horizontal leg of the-sealing ring '83. The two rings .35 and-83 aremechanicallysecured together by a series of 'three toeightinwardlyformed lugs tasheared from thelower'edge-of the-outer ringandbent inwardly, the'said lower edge of the outer ring extendingbelowthebottom of the inner rin and forming a convenient place for theseveraltog gle clamp latch members'to' hook, ashereinafterexplained. Theinner edge of the horizontal leg of the sealing ring83 is preferablybowed up'at'BS to form a circular groove above or ins de the glass to"receive a soft asbestos rope 86 or the like to ensure the glass nottouching the ring and toseal the-' spaceagainst entrance of dust anddirt. "Th-is'rope, however, does not transmit'any'clamping-pressure tothe glass.

The assemblage of these -parts'is thought to be obvious. "'By'the *useofsuitable jigs the glass is'centered inthe frame ring'BBfthe'caIkingcement'SZ fills or is filled" about and over the edge of the glass as'shownin'FigsfP and 10, the sealing ringBS, preferably-painted" insideand supplied with the a'sbestosro-pe'fl'; is telescoped down over theframe ring 80, arid the" tabs84at the bottom of the outer ring '83' are'bent up under? the'ring 86. The asbestos" rope" may beinserted' later;if desired. The glass .1 is thus ifirrnly" heldfiin the frame.

The upper face'of thehorizont'al :leg of the sealing ring 83 forms thelower seat for the gasket 52, is sufficiently strong'to carry theclamping and sealing pressure without transferring it to the glass, andis wide enough to receive or engage the gasket inalldiameters'of therim. Positive clamping means for clinching the glass frame to the upper"reflector 'element may be 'used'with safety.

The cover is -preferably'hinged' to the'gasket mounting element by aread-ilydetachable hinge or hook for convenience in handling,installation, removal and replacement of glass-and for other purposes.Thus, Figs? '7, 8,- and '10, a metal hinge strap 87! issuitably-'riveted'or 'otherwisesecured to the outside of-' the'outerband ring -GB- of 1 the gasket mounting element, the lower end of whichis curved up to form a hook 88 which loosely encircles aformed wire'clip89 or loop attached in any suitable way, as by rivets through its ends,

to the outside face of seal ring- 83 of the'cover frame. Thisconstruction provides a safe hinge for the cover and does not interferewith the closing, clamping or opening movements of the .cover. Asetscrew 90, threading through the outer end of the hook and engagingthe strip 81, prevents any undesired separation of the hinge parts, butis readily backed out sufilciently for that purpose so that'the covermay be quickly -unhinged or unhooked and disconnected from the upper orreflector element.

. -When the coveris closed it is clamped to its seat on 'the gasket by aplurality of preferably spring toggle clamps about the edge. In this in---stance there are six such clamps, located one at each supporting pin Hof the gasket-retainer segments. They each comprise a spring wire link-9l,-substantiallyof the form shown in Fig. 8, hinged or pivoted at oneside to the outer band 66 of the reflector element by the clip 92, which-may-be cut' and-formed out of the band itself,

as indicated, or otherwise secured thereto. The

other side of this spring is hinged or rotatably secured to spring linksupporting plate, strap or hook 93, which, in'the clamped position shownin Fig; 9, engages at its lower upwardly and horizontally bent end 94the inside of the lower edge of the sealing ring'83 of'the cover andpresses upwardly against the lower edge of the cover 'framemember 80.The projecting lower edge of the ring83keeps-the hooks from slippingout- ,wardly and releasing the cover. The pressure to the gasket aboveis transmitted directly through the metal parts and does not place theglass under stress. The intermediate portion of the spring hookpressesresilientlyagainst the head of the pin 1 l' and assists in pressing thesegment carried by it tightly against the reflector bead. The togg eaction of these clamps will be understood. They may be opened by pullingoutwardly the upper hinged sides of the spring links 9| and 'hook plates93, their resiliency permitting such passes the center line of points 92and 94, and be maintained in that position until manually released.

The operation is thought to be obvious from the foregoing. In this form,as in the preceding, the gasket is carried on the housing and is alwaysproperly seated onthe rim to make an ideal seal therewith and possessesthe other advantages mentioned. 'The rim, gasket, frame and glass edgeare all substantially in line and give full light opening to thereflector, the glass is cushionsealed and supported and is notput understrain by the clamping of the cover in closed position. The deviceis'self-adjusting to the different sizes of reflector rims wheninstalled, so that no special manipulation or disassembling andreassembling of parts is required in applying it to do a perfect job.When the single clamping screw istightened, the gasket'fits perfectlyand the device is firmly andtightly secured to the housing.

The outer band by its two legs or members "envelopes and covers the rimof the housing, the gasket and the edge of the cover was to protect thesame from dust and dirt and to present an unobtrusive and neatappearance. Thus the objects' and advantages of the invention asheretofore related and others obvious from an'inspection and use of thedevice, are realized. T I

With respect to mounting the gasket on the reflector or housing riminstead of on thecover, it may be pointed out that for practicalreasons, such as the space taken up, the cost, and the like,

.a narrow and small cross-section is preferred. A

square cross-section, -inch on a side, is ideal for the purpose, and, asshownyisattainable in this invention. Thus, if thegasket were built-intoor attached to thecover, it would haveto be much Wider to insure itscontacting for the full perimeter of the housing or reflector and thecover, in order to allow for manufacturing tolerances in housing orreflector diameters, for variations in glass diameters, and to provideenough clearance between the glass frame of the cover and the rim of thehousing or reflector.- Again, the housing or reflector rim may not be atrue circle. But if the small cross-sectional gasket is held directly onand positioned so'that it must-align with the reflector or housing rim,as in this construction, the contact or gasket seat on the cover, whichin this invention can be made relatively wide and fiat, must strike thegasket at all points on the periphery when thecover' is closed. Then,too, the gasket located on the reflector or housing rim becomes astationary member of the assembly and is better protected from injury inthe regular operation of the cover than were it located in the coverframe. Also, if desired, the gasket may be further and more securelyattached to the reflector or housing rim by a suitable cement appliedbetween the rim and the adjacent gasket surface and even at the severalslits where the retainer tongues pass through it, whereas if the gasketwere a part of the cover frame 'it would be disturbed and likelydestroyed at each glass replacement and the trouble and expense of a newgasket incurred. Putting the gasket on the narrow rim of thevarying-diameter reflector or housing, even though that rimmay bedistorted froma true circle, puts the gasket whereit must be, to-wit,directly under that rim, where it cannot get away. Where the cover mustbe attached to the unit by the purchaser, th'egasket retainers are splitup, as explained, into a series of pieces or seg- 'ments so mounted andcontrolled in their radial movement that the gasket is not stretched allat one point from its original length, fitting a minimum-diameterreflector, tothat fitting a maximum-diameter reflector,-but its stretchis distributed about the circle on the segments. The slits in thegasket, made by forcing a suitable thin knife-edged tool through thegasket wall, are slightly longer than the width of the retainer tonguesto allow for possible variations in spacing both of the slits and of thetongues and so that the gasket may slip over the tongues withoutstretching or forcing. In expanding the segments'for the larger-diameterrims, therefore, the slits are long enough to permit the gasket to slideslightly on the tongues in'a peripheral direction to assist indistributing the stretch. Moreover, it is possible that where twosegment ends abut, the near edge of the tongues on adjacent segments maybeclose to the near ends of the gasket slits for the minimum-size rim,and as the segments sep- '1-3 arate forthe largeresizerim-the tonguesvwill. have a chance to slide freely in the gasket slits.

Thegasket,thicknesapreferably -inch, being generous, thetonguesthin, andthe material of the .gasketof aresilient, pliable nature, the portionsof the slits.beyond,the width of the tongues will, close. completely.to. form watertight closures, particularly. whenclamped between thereflector rimand the seal ring of the cover.

The numberofsegrnentsin the gasket retainer ring may be varied as deemedpracticalandworlb able. In the old cast-iron reflector with a fiatrimandwith a simple cover. attached by screws, it Was.found desirable nottospace the screws more. than nine. inches apart around thecircumferenceif oneexpect'ed to get a good tight clamp .or squeeze onthe gasket. The present invention provides for one clamp for eachgasketretainer segment It is deemed desirable, therefore, not to makethe SBglL-lGIltS more than approx-v imately nineinches long.Accordingly, for. an S-inch-diameter reflector, three such sections are.found desirable;.for, a 22-inch reflector, eight segments. suflice; andinthe 18-inch reflector herein illustrated, there are six such. sectionsor segments. This ,covers the range of sizes ordinarily; manufacturedand indicates a practical rule thatmay. be suc cessfully followed fordifferent sizes.

As befor e pointed out, the hinged cover, as in the. detachable .form-;of the device, is readily re movable for anydesired purpose bytakingout the screw 90: and unhooking the cover from the. hinge-hook.88.; The cover in the built-in typemayalso'beouicklyremoved for-anydesired purpose, such, for example, as for glass replacement, etc,,which maybedone readily by taking outone orfboth of the hinge-screws 52and separating the cover from-the rim.

While-in this-specification the device has been. considered initsposition as shown in the drawing with its axis vertical, itwill beunderstood that it-may be'used in any position, and the descrip-, tionand claims should be read and understood accordingly. So, too, the termshousing and reflector are -used syno r 1;ymously and should be sounderstood, Glassig of: course, is intended to cover suitable-materialsfor the purpose.

Withoutjurther elaboration, the foregoing will so fullyexplainthe gistof this invention that others may, by applying current knowledge,readily adopt. the same for use under varying conditions of servicewithout eliminating certain features; which, may properly be said toconstitute the essential items of novelty involved, whichcitems, areintended to be. defined; andsecured; by the-following claims.

I- claim:

1; -A,,1ighting fixture oi the class described comprising. a, housinghaving a formed rim aroundritsz openend; saidrim forming. an uppergasket: sea-t, a cover,- having a glass and a metal. frame around..the.Deriphery of the. glass, said frame havingav spacelaround the edge ofvthe glass; cementing; material in, said space to .hold' andseal-theglass; therein, said frame having a sealed-ledge extendinginwardly over. and out of contact with theglass, said ledge forming. alower gasket seat-,a gasket between said. rim and. ledge seats, andmeans forclamping saidframe. to'the housing; at,;sai d., rim, gasket andlegs to, hold-and seal the, same without putting the glass nde ra n -leas. .r;ei-.. -c ass" s r bed mp g es, Q. e h vin mim -i s;

14 mend 11Qk i fin re -ease 1. 21 a k e ta l r nsa la s andm ta tween thegglasseand sa'd ing, a gaslge .b: the z im. z am 's h FZ c -i m a s'r': WQPT: ing.,the.cqver .to the housing, at ,said-rim, ring; and;

20. lss ndameial H 'ipllsra li me r hee a s. said,l frarne includ I ringlarger; in; di t, fitfil? thickness. of theglas T 1 ext nd n .rai eishii s. is -te nager a d upp r tn. ,0 25,. ed 9 f-.- a .vallsins: eme fnei her I ie p nii z p j 'nd. 4 hgs e esh, J s a and Qm-i e. lass nihels sea rin gu a i i n. having.

d; an aledi said.ce-..,

hellsmee v n a o m d im-- s; open endt said rim forming. an upper ndimetalg-pe l pheral;frame for .the glass, including a continuous-ringofgsturdy n .and; larger in, insidediameterand anthe thickness of theglass ,andhaving.

' eepe edg o engage-v and support, the. outer. face. edgeof; lass,, acalk'lng cement: filling the-sub amil lzll ierwl ke pace in the, ring.and aroundhfil lfi yth lassto. Seal and hold .the glass in thering, acontinuous seal.v ring angular in.

cross=section. -having.one. leg portion embedded and sealed; in .saidcement. and extending to the 555 said-:ring. so as to besupportedthereby, theotherleg, por.tion.of the. seal ring. extending inwardlyover the glass.andspacedzabove the same and forming, at; its upper.side. a lower. gasket seat, a soft filler; imthe. corner between-thelegs anddshe corner .of: the-sglass,. a gasket between the twoseatsrandmeans forlsealingly clamping said ring to said rim on saidgasket, whereby the clamping d the glass is the ,saidrringbeinglargerinldiameter than the" glass anddeeper than the glass thickness-towavide;a substantiala space. therearounda filling of.. 751 pla e cementitiousmaterial in .said. .spaceto I a, cover for saidopenendr having. a.

a 1y; extending raisedshelf at. its outer' 15 7 hold and seal the glasstherein, and a continuous sheet metal seal ring of inverted L-shaped.

cross-section having its vertical leg embedded and sealed insaidmaterial and extending down independently of the glass.

6. A sealed cover construction for light-fixture housings having a rimaround its open end comprising a glass and a metal frame around theglass, said frame including continuous inner and outer telescoping ringsforming a sturdy band around the edge of the glass, the inner ringhaving a lower portion extending inwardly with an elevated ledge onwhich the glass lies, the said band being larger in diameter and deeperthan the glass to provide a substantial space around the edge of theglass, and a filling of plastic cementitious material in said space toseal and hold the glass therein, the outer ring having a horizontalportion extending inwardly over the glass above andout of contacttherewith but engaged on the lower side and sealed in position by saidfilling, the upper face of said horizontal portion forming the lowerseat for the gasket seal of the cover to the housing rim, whereby theclamping sealing pressure of the cover to the housing is carried by theframe without compressing the glass.

7; A sealed cover construction for light-fixture housings having a rimaround its open end comprising a glass and a metal frame around theglass, said frame including continuous inner and outer telescoping ringssealed together, forming a sturdy band around the edge of the glass, theinner ring having a lower portion extending inwardly with an elevatedledge on which the glass,

lies, the'said band being larger in diameter and deeper than the glassandproviding a substan tial space around the edge of the glass, afilling of plastic cementitious material in said space to seal and holdthe glass therein, the outer ring having a horizontal portion extendinginwardly over the glass above and out of contact therewith but engagedon the lower side and sealed in position by said filling, the upper faceof said hori-- zontal portion forming the lower seat for the gasket sealof the cover to the housing rim, whereby the clamping sealing pressureof the cover to the housing is carried by the frame without compressingthe glass, a packing of soft material between the inner edge of thehorizontal portion of said sealing ring and the surface of the glass,the lower edge of the sealing ring extending below the inner ring andforming a convenient place for hooking clamping devices, and inwardlybent lugs cut from said lower edge to mechanically secure said ringstogether.

8. A'lighting fixture of the class described comprising a housing havinga rim formed about its open end forming anupper gasket seat, a cover forsaid open end having a lower gasket seat, a ring of gasket materialbetween said seats adapted to be engaged and sealingly compressedthereby, and a gasket-retaining strip carried by the housing andsurrounding said rim and gasket and having tongues extending throughsaid gasket between the seats and bent upwardly at the inside of thegasket and securing the gasket to its rim seat, whereby the gasket issealingly compressed between ,said seats when the cover is closed andring of gasket material between said seats adapted to be engaged andsealingly compressed thereby,

and a sheet metal gasket-retaining strip outside said rim and gasket andsecured thereto, the lower edge of said strip being notched to formtongues,

said tongues beingbent inwardly and extending through slits in thegasket ring between its upper and lower seating faces, said tonguesbeing further bent upwardly at the inside'of the gasket ring with theirends extending above the upper gasket seat, whereby the gasket ring isconfined to its rim seat on the housing and the cover may be opened andclosed without disturbance thereof or thereby. V a

10. A lighting fixture of the class described comprising a housinghaving a rim. formed about its open end forming an upper gasket seat, acover for said open end having a lower gasket seat, a ring of gasketmaterial between said seats adapted to be engaged ands'ealinglycompressed,

and a sheet metal gasket-retaining band surrounding said rim andattached thereto, the lower edge of said band having tongues formedthereon bent to extend horizontally inward, the gasket being impaled onsaid tongues and held thereby to its rim seat, the, tongues being bentupwardly at the inside face of the gasket,vwith their ends extendingabove the rim seat, whereby the gasket is centered and retained inproper position on the rim seat. I

11. A lighting fixture of the class described comprising a housinghaving a formed rim at the open end, said rim forming an upper gasketseat, a ring of gasket material substantially rectangular incross-section on said seat, a sheet metal gasket-retaining ring stripoutside said rim and gasket, said gasket having slits punchedhorizontally therethrough at regular spaced intervals, the lower edge ofsaid gasket-retaining strip having tongues formed thereon benthorizontally and extending through said gasket slits and then bentupwardly at the inner side of the gasket and with their ends reachingabove the said rim seat, whereby properly to seat and maintain thegasket on its said rim seat, means for securing said retaining strip tothe said rim, and a cover for the open end of the housing having a lowergasket seat to sealingly engage said gasket when the cover is secured inplace thereon. 7

12. A lighting fixture of the class described in which the housings maydiffer in diameter within a manufacturing tolerance range, comprising ahousing having a rim around its open end forming a gasket seat, a ringgasket normally of a size properly to fit such a seat of the smallestdiameter, means for stretching said gasket propforming a gasket seat, aring gasket normally of a size properly to fit such a seat of thesmallest diameter, means for controllably stretching said gasketproperly to distribute the stretch of the gasket and cause it to fit onthe seats of larger .8 "r r d r f as pene ra e is; "use ri er. is e: iwas h ad? zilfig'fhavjflg '9} 'ggg eat mpsriymenses and e 'hbusing'andot lei igthnormally to reach a manufacturing tolerance range,comprising a s idga'sketfwh'atever its'si'zejwhenthe cover-us closed; 7v v 145.4. "lighting' 'flxture ofthe-class described which thfhoiisingsma uiir 11 diameter within "housm ha'vingj' a rim" around its open endforming a 'ga sketseatja ring ga'sket normally 'of a size properly 'to'fit such "a seat" of "thesmallesV diametgr, a support for the gasket,mean-sfor expandingsaid support and stretching said gasket to fitlargersizesofsaidseat, and a cover for the open""end"ofthemousinghavinga seat for saidgasket in any sizerto sealin'gly compress '1 the samewhen the cover is finally closed.

15. A lighting fixture of the class described in which the'hb'usingsiiiaydiiferin diameter within a manufacturing tolerance range,comprising a' housing" having a rim around its"bpen"nd' 'go" forming a:gasketseat, a ring-gasket normally of a; siz ei properly tofit such aseat of the'snialllest diameterrasupport for the? gasket, mansto 'securesaid support and gasket'tof'the riinjm'e'ans I jor expanding sa dsupportftthd?stretchingsaid g -jgasket tg-fitlarger sizes of said rimseatfliieans ""o-n the riin irr 'o ged'byt e ve 119; contrplling anddistributingth "gti-tghmf retaining iireasspsingextahsineand"ecssaid"gasket, and a cover for the open end of the tractible to expand andcontract said gasket to housing having a seat for said gasket in any fitit to the varying sizes of rims, an outer band size to sealinglycompress the same when the 39 enclosing said retaining means andconnected cover is finally closed. thereto to position and retain thesame on the 16. In a sealed cover construction for lightrim, said bandbeing expansible to permit same fixture housings in which the diametersof the and the retaining means to be slipped over the open ends may varyin the manufacture thereof, rim f h housing, and means t tighten e agasket to seat on the rim of the open end of the 35 hand about thehousing to secure the same and housing and of a length normally to reachenthe gasket-retaining m s er tirely around the smallest-sized rim, anda gas- 21. In a sealed cover construction for lightket-retaining meansto confine said gasket to its fixture housings in which the diameters ofthe seat on the rim in position to be engaged by the open ends may varyin the manufacture thereof, cover, said retaining means being expansibleand. 40 a gasket to seat on the rim of the open end of contractible toexpand and contract said gasket the housing and of a length normally toreach to fit it to the varying sizes of rims. entirely around thesmallest-sized rim, a seg- 1'7. In a sealed cover construction forlightmental gasket-retaining means surrounding the fixture housings inwhich the diameters of the gasket and rim and having tongues projectingopen ends may vary in the manufacture thereof,

M through the gasket and confining same to the a gasket to seat on therim of the open end of rim, an outer expansible band enclosing and thehousing and of a length normally to reach carrying sa d retaining means,d band having entirely around the smallest-sized rim, and a an inwardlyextending upper edge portion exsegmental gasket-retaining meanssurrounding end g over the rim when the band is tightened the gasket andrim and having tongues projectabout the housing for holding it togetherwith the ing through the gasket and confining same to gasket andconnected parts firmly on the housthe rim, said segments being movedoutwardly ing, said band when loosened and expanded by a larger rim inthe act of applying the conwithdrawing its upper flange from over thesaid struction thereto to stretch and adapt the gasket rim to permit thedevice to be detached from the and segments to the larger rim and tomaintain housing or to be applied thereto and upon further the gasketproperly seated thereon. expansion to enable the segments to move radi-18. In a sealed cover construction for l gh ally outward to fit them tolarger rims, and fixture housings in which the diameters of the meansfor tightening and loosening said exopen ends may vary in themanufacture thereof, pansible ba d,

a gasket to seat on the rim of the open e d o 22. In a sealed coverconstruction for lightthe housing and Of a length normally to reachfixture housings in which the diameters of the e y around theSmallest-Sized a sat: open ends may vary in the manufacture thereof,mental ga k ts Surroundmg t a gasket to seat on the rim of the open endof gasket and rim and h v e t n s p j s the housing and of a lengthnormally to reach through the gasket and confining same to the 6 rim,said segments being moved outwardly by entirely around thesmallest-sized rim, a gasketretaining means to confine said gasket toits seat larger rims in the application of the construction on the rimin position to be engaged by the Cover, thereto to stretch and adapt thegasket and seg- Said retaining means being divided into a ments to thlarge! rims and mamta'm the plurality of segements, an expansible outerband as p perly seated t e eo and means 7o surrounding the segments and.connected therecon o e movement of said gaske s t 1111111? with tosupport and control the same, said. conthe same therebetweennectionincluding a headed pin for each segment 19. In a sealed CoveConstructifin for llghtextending throughalongitudinal slot in the bandfixture hous gs in which the diameters of the and into the segmentintermediate its ends, leaf open ends may vary in the maufacturethereof, 75 springs secured to the inside of the band and eachoverlapping and slidingly bearing at its-ends against adjacent segmentsnear their ends, said springs tending to press the segments inwardlysprings causing the band to expand substantially equally about thesegments, the pins, sliding in the slots during such expansion, and whenthe band is tightened the reverse action takes place, the segments beingpressed inwardly, the segments thus traveling radially from the oneposition to the other. 7, 23. In a sealed cover construction forlightfixture housings in which the diameters of the open ends may varyin the manufacture thereof, a gasket to seat on the rim of the open endof the housing and of a length normally to reach entirely around thesmallest-sized rim, a gasket- 7 retaining means to confine said gasketto its seat on the rim in position to be engaged by the cover, saidretaining means being expansible and contractible to expand and contractsaid gasket to fit it to the varying sizes of rims an outer bandenclosing said retaining means and connected thereto to position andretain the same on the rim, said band being expansible to permit sameandthe retaining means to be slipped overthe rim,of the housing, and mean sto tighten the Number band about the housing to secure the same andthe gasket-retaining means thereto, said tighten ing means consisting ofa thumb-screw connecting'theends of the band, the band when tightened bythe screw concealing and drawing together the gasket retaining andpositioning parts, closely gripping the housing, and forming a rigid,sub,

stantial anchorage'forthemovable cover; element,

V c 7 PAUL p. mums;

. h V REFERENCES (infill Thefollowing referencesare of record in-thefile of this'paitent c r J UNITED STATES PATEnTs-j Name *Date 1,746,340Doane Feb'.'11, 1930 1,960,922 Richard -Q.-- May 29, 1934 1,970,709 7Q... Aug. 21, 1934 2,070,195 "Bissell et al.' Feb. 9,193? 2,240,634Winkler- May 6, 1941 2,279,595 Phillips Apr. 14, 1942 r 2,285,728 IJune-9, 1942 Mar 14,1944

